Jeremiah 2
1 And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,
The word of Jehovah came to me, saying:
2 “Go, and you have called in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus said YHWH: I have remembered for you The kindness of your youth, the love of your espousals, Your going after Me in a wilderness, in a land not sown.
Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, Thus saith Jehovah: I remember the kindness shown thee in thy youth, The love with which I espoused thee, When thou wast led by me through the wilderness, Through a land that was not sown.
3 Israel [is] holy to YHWH, The first-fruit of His increase, All consuming him are guilty, Calamity comes to them,” A declaration of YHWH.
Israel was a sacred thing to Jehovah, His first ripe fruit. All that devoured him were held guilty; Evil came upon them, saith Jehovah.
4 Hear a word of YHWH, O house of Jacob, And all you families of the house of Israel—
Hear ye the word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob, And all the families of the house of Israel!
5 Thus said YHWH: “What perversity have your fathers found in Me, That they have gone far off from Me, And go after vanity, and become vain,
Thus saith Jehovah: What fault did your fathers find in me, That they went far from me, And walked after vanity, and practised folly?
6 And have not said, Where [is] YHWH, Who brings us up out of the land of Egypt, Who leads us in a wilderness, In a land of deserts and pits, In a dry land, and of death-shade, In a land that none has passed through, Nor has man dwelt there?
They said not, Where is Jehovah, Who brought us up from the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and deathlike gloom, Through a land which no man passed through, And where no man dwelt?
7 Indeed, I bring you into a land of fruitful fields, To eat its fruit and its goodness, And you come in and defile My land, And have made My inheritance an abomination.
I brought you to a land of fruitful fields, To eat the fruit thereof, and the good thereof; But when ye had come in, ye defiled my land, And made my inheritance an abomination.
8 The priests have not said, Where [is] YHWH? And those handling the Law have not known Me. And the shepherds transgressed against Me, And the prophets have prophesied by Ba‘al, And have gone after those who do not profit.
The priests said not, Where is Jehovah? And the teachers of the law knew me not; The rulers also rebelled against me; The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal, And walked after things that could not profit.
9 Therefore, I yet plead with you,” A declaration of YHWH, “And I plead with your sons’ sons.
Therefore I will yet contend with you, saith Jehovah; Yea, with your children's children will I contend.
10 For pass to the islands of Chittim and see, And send to Kedar and consider well, And see if there has been [anything] like this:
For pass over to the islands of the Chittaeans, and see; Send ye to Kedar, and inform yourselves well; And see if such a thing hath been done!
11 Has a nation changed gods? (And they [are] no gods!) And My people has changed its glory For that which does not profit.
Hath any nation changed their gods, even those that are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which cannot profit.
12 Be astonished, you heavens, at this, Indeed, be frightened, be greatly desolated,” A declaration of YHWH.
Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this! Shudder, and be amazed! saith Jehovah.
13 “For My people have done two evils, They have forsaken Me, a fountain of living waters, To hew out for themselves wells—broken wells, That do not contain the waters.
For my people have committed two evils; Me have they forsaken, the fountain of living water, And they have hewn out for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
14 [Is] Israel a servant? Is he a child of the house? Why has he been for a prey?
Is Israel a slave? Is he a home-born servant? Why then hath he become a spoil?
15 Young lions roar against him, They have given forth their voice, And make his land become a desolation, His cities have been burned without inhabitant.
The young lions roar over him; They lift up their voice; They have made his land a desolation; His cities are burned so as to be without an inhabitant.
16 Also sons of Noph and Tahapanes Consume you—the crown of the head!
Even the sons of Noph and Tahpanhes have consumed the crown of thy head.
17 Do you not do this to yourself? [By] your forsaking your God YHWH, At the time He is leading you in the way?
Hath not this come upon thee, Because thou didst forsake Jehovah thy God, When he would have led thee in the way?
18 And now, why do you [go] in the way of Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? And why do you [go] in the way of Asshur, To drink the waters of the River?
And now what hast thou to do with the way of Egypt, To drink the waters of the Nile? Or what hast thou to do with the way of Assyria, To drink the waters of the Euphrates?
19 Your wickedness instructs you, And your backslidings reprove you, Know and see that an evil and a bitter thing [is] your forsaking your God YHWH, And My fear not being on you,” A declaration of Lord YHWH of Hosts.
Thy wickedness shall chasten thee, And thy transgressions reprove thee; And thou shalt know and see that it is an evil and bitter thing That thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, And that the fear of me is not with thee, Saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
20 “For from of old you have broken your yoke, Drawn away your bands, and say, I do not serve, For on every high height, and under every green tree, You are wandering—a harlot.
Of old hast thou broken thy yoke, And burst thy bands, And said, “I will not be in subjection!” For upon every high hill, And under every green tree, Hast thou reclined, playing the harlot.
21 And I planted you [as] a choice vine, wholly of true seed, And how have you been turned Into the degenerate shoots of a strange vine to Me?
Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, Wholly a genuine seed; How then art thou changed to the degenerate shoot of a strange vine?
22 But though you wash with natron, And multiply soap to yourself, Your iniquity is marked before Me,” A declaration of Lord YHWH.
For though thou wash thee with nitre, And take thee much soap, Yet is thine iniquity black before me, saith Jehovah.
23 “How can you say, I have not been defiled, I have not gone after the Ba‘alim? See your way in a valley, know what you have done, A swift dromedary winding her ways,
How canst thou say, “I am not polluted,” “I have not gone after Baals”? Behold thy way in the valley! Know what thou hast done, A swift young camel, traversing her ways.
24 A wild donkey accustomed to a wilderness, She has swallowed up wind in the desire of her soul, Her meeting—who turns her back? None seeking her weary themselves, In her month they find her.
A wild ass, used to the wilderness, That in her desire snuffeth up the wind, In her occasion, who can turn her aside? All that seek her do not weary themselves; In her month they will find her.
25 Withhold your foot from being unshod, And your throat from thirst, And you say, It is incurable, No, for I have loved strangers, and I go after them.
Withhold thy feet from being unshod, And thy throat from thirst! But thou sayest, There is no remedy! No! For I love strangers, And after them I will go.
26 As the shame of a thief when he is found, So has the house of Israel been put to shame, They, their kings, their heads, And their priests, and their prophets,
As a thief is ashamed when he is taken, So is the house of Israel ashamed, They, their kings, and their princes, And their priests, and their prophets;
27 Saying to wood, You [are] my father! And to a stone, You have brought me forth, For they turned to me the back and not the face, And in the time of their distress, They say, Arise, and save us.
That say to a stock, Thou art my father, And to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth! For they turn the back to me, and not the face. Yet in the time of their trouble they say, Arise and save us!
28 And where [are] your gods, that you have made to yourself? Let them arise, if they may save you, In the time of your distress, For—the number of your cities have been your gods, O Judah,
But where are thy gods, which thou hast made thee? Let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble! For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah!
29 Why do you strive with Me? All of you have transgressed against Me,” A declaration of YHWH.
Why do ye enter into controversy with me? Ye have all rebelled against me, saith Jehovah.
30 “I have struck your sons in vain, They have not accepted instruction, Your sword has devoured your prophets, As a destroying lion.
In vain have I smitten your children; They would receive no correction; Your own sword hath devoured your prophets, Like a destroying lion.
31 O generation, see the word of YHWH: Have I been a wilderness to Israel? A land of thick darkness? Why have My people said, We wandered freely, We do not come to You again.
O generation! Behold ye the word of Jehovah! Have I been a wilderness to Israel? Or a land of darkness? Why then say my people, “We will rove at pleasure, We will come no more to thee”?
32 Does a virgin forget her ornaments? A bride her bands? And My people have forgotten Me [for] days without number.
Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her belt? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number!
33 Why do you make your ways pleasing to seek love? Therefore you have even taught the wicked your ways.
Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? On this account hast thou accustomed thy ways to wickedness.
34 Also the blood of innocent needy souls Has been found on your skirts, I have not found them by digging, But on all these.
Upon thy skirts is found the blood of the innocent poor, Whom thou didst not find committing violence.
35 And you say, Because I have been innocent, Surely His anger has turned back from me? Behold, I have been judged with you, Because of your saying, I have not sinned.
But notwithstanding all this, thou sayest, I am innocent; Surely his anger is turned away from me. Behold, I will enter into judgment with thee, Because thou sayest, “I have not sinned.”
36 What? You are very vile to repeat your way, You are even ashamed of Egypt, As you have been ashamed of Asshur,
Why dost thou run so eagerly, changing thy way? By Egypt also shalt thou be put to shame, Even as thou hast been put to shame by Assyria.
37 Also you go out from this, And your hands on your head, For YHWH has kicked at your confidences, And you do not give prosperity to them!”
From Egypt also shalt thou go forth With thy hands upon thy head. For Jehovah hath rejected the objects of thy confidence, Therefore shalt thou not prosper in them.
